Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 U.S. NEWS
Friday 19 May 2017

U.S. imposes sanctions on Venezuela Supreme Court

JOSHUA GOODMAN from the bench also up-
CHRISTINE ARMARIO held a nearly 14-year sen-
Associated Press tence for opposition lead-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) er Leopoldo Lopez a day
— The U.S. on Thursday after Trump called for his
slapped new sanctions release at a White House
on eight members of Ven- meeting with his wife.
ezuela’s Supreme Court, Venezuelan government
accusing them of abusing officials dispute the notion
power and damaging their that the country’s justice
nation’s democratic fabric system is politicized.
as the Trump administra- Maduro has said he had no
tion raises concerns that prior knowledge of the Su-
socialist President Nicolas preme Court ruling against
Maduro is moving toward congress in March, point-
one-party, authoritarian ing to the objections raised
rule. by Venezuela’s chief pros-
Those blacklisted by the ecutor as proof the coun-
Treasury Department in- try’s institutions operate in-
clude Maikel Moreno, the dependently.
president of the govern- The new sanctions come as
ment-packed Supreme Maduro is facing increas-
Court, as well as all seven ing pressure at home and
justices who signed a ruling abroad to hold elections.
in late March stripping the On Thursday, several thou-
opposition-controlled con- sand demonstrators once
gress of its last remaining again collapsed Caracas
powers. Anti-government protesters use homemade shields to protect themselves from tear gas fired by and other cities in protests
The ruling was later partially security forces blocking them from reaching the Interior Ministry, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thurs- that ended in clashes with
reversed amid a backlash day, May 18, 2017. The blue shield at center is fashioned in the likeness of the cover of Venezu- security forces firing tear
of international criticism, ela’s constitution. The protest in Caracas comes after almost two months of unrest nationwide in gas and rubber bullets.
but it sparked a protest which more than 40 people have been killed. More than 2,000 people
movement that has contin- Associated Press have been detained and
ued for nearly two months hundreds injured during al-
and on Thursday claimed administration has stripped humanity,” Trump said after the previous 200 years, le- most daily protests.
another victim, bringing high-level Venezuelan offi- meeting at the White House gal experts say. In the western city of Ma-
the death toll to 45. cials of their U.S. assets and with Colombian President In issuing its sanctions ruling, racaibo, a 25-year-old was
“The Venezuelan people banned Americans from Juan Manuel Santos. the U.S. Treasury Depart- killed when he was crushed
are suffering from a col- any business dealings with Venezuelan Foreign Minis- ment cited several court by a truck during a protest,
lapsing economy brought them. In February, the U.S. ter Delcy Rodriguez took to rulings since the opposition the chief prosecutor’s of-
about by their govern- ordered sanctions against Twitter late Thursday to call gained control of congress. fice said.
ment’s mismanagement Vice President Tareck El Ais- the U.S. sanctions “outra- One was the approval Local media said he was
and corruption. sami, accusing him of play- geous and unacceptable.” of Maduro’s budget and a medical student belong-
Members of the country’s ing a major role in interna- She said that the execu- his appointment of two ing to the so-called “Green
Supreme Court of Justice tional drug trafficking. tive order was one more government sympathizers Cross,” a group of volun-
have exacerbated the Earlier Thursday, Trump ex- example of U.S. attempts to the National Electoral teer first-responders that
situation by consistently in- pressed dismay about Ven- to interfere and destabilize Council, decisions that are is a fixture at opposition
terfering with the legislative ezuela’s troubles, asking Maduro’s government and supposed to require Na- marches
branch’s authority,” U.S. aloud how a nation sitting that the president strongly tional Assembly approval. Maduro has vowed to re-
Treasury Secretary Steven atop the world’s largest oil backs the Supreme Court Another was a ruling a year solve his nation’s crisis by
T. Mnuchin said. “By impos- reserves could be stricken magistrates who are “vic- ago declaring null all acts convoking a special as-
ing these targeted sanc- by so much poverty and tims of U.S. imperial power.” of the National Assembly is- sembly to rewrite Venezu-
tions, the United States is unrest. Venezuela’s Supreme sued while it remains in con- ela’s constitution. The op-
supporting the Venezu- “You sort of have to won- Court has long been filled tempt of an earlier ruling position rejects that plan
elan people in their efforts der: Why is that happen- with government loyalists. requiring the congress to as another attempt by the
to protect and advance ing? How is that possible? The court’s constitutional unseat three elected law- president to tighten his grip
democratic governance Hopefully that will change chamber declared null makers over still-unproven on power, and opposi-
in their country.” and they can use those as- and void eight National allegations of voting fraud. tion leaders are calling on
The action marked the sets for the good. Because Assembly laws between Moreno, while not directly Venezuelans to continue
second time the Trump right now what’s happen- January and October 2016, involved in those decisions, to take to the streets in
ing is really a disgrace to after just one such ruling in has defended them and protest.q